Solstice
by dreamysilverdragon08
Summary: Set after Edward leaves in NM. He wanted her to be safe and move on with her life. What happens when a new set of vampires roll into town? And Bella moves on into the comfort of another vampire? What happens when Edward comes back? B/E/OC
1. Coping?

Disclaimer: I will insert this once, and only once, because after that… it's just redundant!

I DO NOT own any of the original Twilight characters nor any of the published plot points; Those are the sole property of Stephenie Meyer. I do, however own any new characters that may or may not pop up and the story line of this fanfic. *smiles*

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Bella's disastrous 18th birthday, Edward leaves *cries!* He wanted her to be safe and move on with her life. What happens when a new set of vampires roll into town? And Bella moves on… into the comfort of another vampire? Better yet, what happens when Edward comes back to Forks? (Not a lot of Jacob in here, sorry team-Jacob fans, but… wait, I'm not sorry… *smirks* Important wolfish information will be included, so don't freak out)

Without further adieu I give you the story….

Solstice

Chapter One: Coping?

_Breathe. Try not to cry. Breathe. Blink. Don't think about him Bella. Don't do this to yourself again. Think of Charlie. If he sees you go on another crying jag, he's probably going to have you committed! _I coached myself. I was on the verge of another breakdown… I could feel it.

It was a car this time that set off another memory of… _him_… Not just any car… but _his _car. A silver Volvo. And, I could have just imagined this part, but, I could have sworn I heard Claire De Lune coming from its speakers.

When Renee came to Forks a few weeks ago to try and convince me to move back in with her and Phil, I was sure I'd rather stay here and be surrounded by the constant reminders of the past. Now… I'm not so sure. It's total and complete agony every time I see his beautiful face in my mind, and hear his musical voice in my head… and this happens often.

Small things will trigger flashes of my short-lived bliss in Forks. I'll touch something cold; I'll hear a piano being played; I'll brush over my the crescent shaped scar on my hand; I'll wear something I'd worn in his presence, (just about everything). I once almost made the mistake of putting on the deep blue sweater I'd worn to Port Angeles that night he saved me the second time. Luckily I caught myself before putting it on. That sweater is now in a box marked for Goodwill, along with a lot of my other clothes.

When I had to buy replacements, I was instantly reminded of my now gone vampire best friend who I'd considered my sister in so many ways. I'm guessing Alice didn't love me as much as I thought she did either.

I'd like to think that I've gotten… better. Better than I was a few months ago anyway. I know it's not fair for Charlie to have to watch me fall apart. I'm trying to keep my pain to myself by sticking to a carefully scheduled routine. I go to school. I come home. I do my homework. I go to work at Newton's, I come home again. I finish my homework. I cook dinner and eat with Charlie. I clean everything I find an excuse to clean. I take a shower and get ready for bed. Then I stare up at the ceiling in my room until sleep finally finds me.

Night is usually the hardest time for me. There's nothing to distract my obsessive thoughts about _him_, and as _he_ isn't here anymore, I find it difficult to fall asleep alone.

It's even harder this week. School's been cancelled until Thursday, due to five building needing water-damage repairs from the recent storm. Stupid rain, now I don't 6 hours of teachers telling me what to think about instead of my usual fixations.

I think Charlie is getting desperate. He had Billy and Jacob come over to watch a game yesterday. Billy was friendly, but smiling a bit condescendingly, as if he knew something like this was bound to happen to me eventually. In his opinion _him_ leaving me was the best thing that could have happened to me. Charlie practically shoved Jacob towards me when I came down the stairs; I can tell he's running out of ideas on how to "cheer me up." Sorry, Charlie, I doubt there's anything you could do.

Jake's a nice kid. I could hardly call him a kid anymore because he'd grown quite a bit since I'd last seen him. He actually made me smile. A genuine one, not one of the fake ones I occasionally plaster on for Charlie's sake. We talked about the car he's been restoring. A VW Rabbit. He's pretty mechanical for someone his age. His passion for his work is what made me smile.

Jacob invited me to the reservation tomorrow to watch him work. I'm not sure yet, but I think I'll go. It'll give me something to do other than clean. If I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not sure how many times I can polish the silverware before even I don't see the point in doing so anymore.

I'm trying so hard to keep my promise to him. I'm trying to stay safe and to be _human_. I'm not sure why I'm trying; it's not like he's keeping his end of the bargin.

"_It'll be like I never existed." _

Ha. Yeah, right.

He's everywhere to me.

Even though he doesn't love me anymore, I'll always love him. I guess that's why I'm trying so hard to move on without him.

Mine's a confusing world these days.

~*~*~*~

A/N: So what did you think? I'm sorry if it's a little too emo. I promise it'll get better, as the plot thickens. Drop me a review if you please.

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


	2. Not Quite Right, but it'll do

A/N: Thanks to all of my reviewers! You all are amazing! Keep 'em coming!

I know some people were concerned with Bella being a little OOC, but keep in mind, this is during her depressed and blank stage, and Stephenie Meyer didn't actually write that part out, so I don't have much to go on. … I promise to keep her in character as much as I can!

Without further adieu, I give you chapter 2:

Solstice

Chapter 2: Not quite right, but It'll do…

I woke up, and felt…. Well, not exactly excited, but more motivated to get out of bed than I had in a long time. I'd made up my mind to go and see Jacob down at La Push today. I couldn't come up with a reason not to go, so I figured _why not?_

I'd slept longer than I usually did on days off form school, so by the time I went downstairs, Charlie was already gone. I figured that this was probably a good thing, because if he asked me too many questions about what I was going to do today, I might have reconsidered going.

I ate a quick breakfast. Just some cereal, I wasn't in the mood to make anything more elaborate. After I washed my bowl and spoon and put them away, I grabbed my keys, wallet and jacket and headed out the door before I could think too hard on whether or not I should go.

My truck stalled once while I was pulling away from the curb, which was odd, because I'd never had problems with it before. I'd have to ask Jacob to take a look at it when I got to the reservation. Other than that, I got to La Push faster than I thought I would, because there was almost no traffic in this tiny little town.

Jacob told me to meet him at the one little general store in La Push, so it was easy to find. He was inside, I assumed, so I parked and went in to look for him. Turned out I was wrong. Jacob wasn't there yet. Perhaps he was still at school or something.

I decided to look around at the tourist paraphernalia on display in one of the corners while I waited for Jake to show up. There were the usual things there: key chains, postcards, jewelry, hats, etc… While I was perusing the postcards, looking at different parts of First Beach and such, I overheard two guys arguing about something. Well, maybe not arguing, but discussing heatedly.

I looked around the corner, and saw Sam Uley and someone I didn't recognize, talking seriously, with their heads close together, almost as if they were gossiping, but their expressions indicated otherwise.

" No… I didn't recognize it, but I could be wrong." The unfamiliar one said.

"Well, either way, if they're back or if it's someone else, we need to stay on alert, and watch out for anything else that might be coming. If they're really back then it'll only be a matter of time before we'll have… reinforcements." Sam responded, seeming tense at the first part, but more relieved at the second.

"Like who?" The other one asked.

"Well, there are the obvious ones like Jacob, and Embry. Then We'll probably get Quil, and then maybe Seth. I'm not sure where our numbers will stand, but it won't be just you, me and Jared much longer, Paul. " Sam said, somberly.

I was so wrapped up in what they were saying, especially when they said Jake's name, that I didn't even hear him come up to me.

"Hey Bella! I'm glad you came!" Jacob said, smiling. I jumped about a foot in the air, knocking into the postcard rack. It almost fell over, but Jacob caught and steadied it before it did.

"Holy Crow! Make a little noise when you walk!" I exclaimed, still trying to get my heart rate back to normal.

Jacob just laughed at me.

"I'm sorry, but they look on your face was priceless." Jacob said, trying to suppress another bout of laughter.

"It's okay, I guess I should be used to stuff like that happening to me. Consider yourself warned, I'm a total klutz." I told him.

"I'll be on my guard. Are you ready to go?" He asked me.

"Yeah, let's go. Oh, but before we do, can you look at something on the truck, it randomly stalled this morning when I was trying to start it. That has never happened before. "

"I'll take a look at it, but that's not that unusual. " He said, and then headed towards the hood.

I got into the driver's seat and waited till he was ready for me to start it.

"Alright, give it a shot." He called to me.

I turned the key and stomped my foot onto the clutch. I eased up on the clutch and pressed down on the gas, slowly. The truck lurched backwards about a foot or so. I hit the brakes.

"It seems fine now." Jake said, appearing at my window.

"Maybe it was just a fluke. It happens, I guess." I admitted. I thought I was making too big a deal of things.

"Alright, then. Let's go. You're going to want to turn right onto the street." He instructed me.

We got to his house in less than 5 minutes. When my truck rolled up, the roaring of the engine must have alerted Billy that we were there, because he rolled down the ramp to meet us.

"Hey there, Bella. How are you doing? How's Charlie? It's been too long since I've seen him.." Billy asked me in his gravelly voice.

Before I could answer generically, Jake cut me off.

"Dad! We were there two days ago!"

"Too long ago, like I said." Billy laughed. "So what brings you down here Bella?"

"Jake's gonna show me the car he's been working on, and then we might go down to the beach for a bit." I told him.

"Alright, you kids have fun. I'm off to the Clearwaters for a bit." Billy said, then started to roll over across the street.

Jake showed me over to the garage and got me a can of coke. We sat in the front seats of the car and talked for a bit about school and our fathers' weird friendship.

After making small talk for about an hour or so, I decided I'd just be blunt about it and ask Jake what Sam and Paul were talking about earlier.

"Um… Jake?" I asked tentatively.

"Yeah?" He responded, interested at my sudden change of tone.

"When I was waiting for you in the store earlier, I kinda overheard something, and I wanted to ask you about it."

"Uh…. Okay?" Jake gestured for me to continue.

"Well, It was Sam Uley, and someone else, I think his name was Paul…"

"Oh." Jake's expression suddenly changed from curiosity to bitterness. "what'd they have to say?"

"Nothing specifically bad, I guess. Just weird stuff. Something about how someone's come back or it might be someone new, but they're gonna have to 'stay on alert,' but soon they'll have others to help or something. And by others, they meant you, and your friends Embry and Quil."

"So… what's your question?" Jake said, clearly uncomfortable with the subject at hand.

"My question is, what do they mean by you and your friends being 'reinforcements?' and who's come back or just gotten here?" I asked, eager to know the answer. Jake and I were new friends, but we were still friends, and I wanted to make sure he was okay.

"Bella…. I can't really talk about it. It's complicated. Really, it is. You have to trust me, when I say that it's alright, and that it's not something you need to know. Beside's nothing's happened yet." Jacob rambled.

"What do mean _yet?"_ I pressed.

"It means that... up until this very second, everything is normal, and you don't need to worry. It's just some stupid myth that's gotten a little out of hand. I don't actually expect it to be true. "Jacob replied, his eyes begging me to drop the subject.

"I… Alright, Jake. I'll just go with it I guess." I promised.

I knew that Jake probably really wanted to tell me something, but for whatever reason couldn't. I figured that I'd get it out of him sooner or later. I owed it to him to be a good friend. He was the one to get me to come out of my coma, if only for a while today.

We spent the rest of the afternoon together, going back to talking about simpler things. I didn't think of… _him_ more than twice. A new record for me. We mostly rambled on about his car, and how awesome it's going to look when he's done with it. He made me promise to be there with him when the car made its maiden voyage.

Eventually, it started to get dark, so I told Jake that I had to go, because Charlie's not so good at the putting ingredients together and cooking thing. He understood my meaning…

He hugged me good bye, and told me to come back really soon.

A/N: So what did ya'll think? I told you in the summary that wolfish information would be included. Sorry to disappoint Jacob fans, but I don't think that Bella and Jacob are gonna get too much closer, especially with what I have planned for chapter three… oops, hope I didn't give too much away… ;-) Drop me a line in a review. Good feedback, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, whatever works…

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


	3. New Kids New Gossip

A/N: Hey everybody! So sorry it took me forever to update! I'd say it won't happen again, but I don't wanna lie to you. Odds are it probably will. At any rate, I hope guys are ready to read chapter three, I know I was excited to write it. I do wanna touch on a few concerns and questions people had written in their reviews:

Firstly, just so everyone knows, the timing of this begins where "waking up" begins in New Moon, but instead of Charlie confronting Bella, Jake is put into the picture earlier than in NM. Secondly, the reason I have Jake a little "flat" (read the reviews), is because, like I said in the full summary (see CH.1) He isn't going to be as relevant a character in my story as he is in NM, but not to worry, Jake-fans, cause important werewolf info will be included in good time. I hope that clears up any major concerns, just let me know if there are any more.

Now, on with chapter three: **New Kids!?!**

Our random week off had passed way too quickly. I had gone down to see Jacob at La Push once more before the week was out.

He had been really helpful in keeping my out of my Zombie-Bella state. I did get the oddest feeling that he may have liked me a little bit more than a friend, though. It was weird, but cute, I guess, in a strange way…

At any rate, the worried look on Charlie's face had lessened in severity a little bit, and he hadn't brought up me moving back in with Renee again, so I hoped my little bit of socializing had helped him worry a little less about me.

Actually, the whole week off from school had sort of forced me to "wake- up," so to speak, from the anti-social auto-pilot mode I'd been in for he last four months. That's what made going back to school even tougher. Outside of school, I had some control over where I went, who I talked to, and what I thought about. At school, I didn't have as much control over that. _He_ was still all around campus, at least in my mind.

Uncharacteristically, I overslept and was, believe it or not, late to English. Mr. Berty glared at me as I walked in, but continued reading from the book as I slid into my seat.

I leaned over to Mike and tapped his desk to get his attention. He looked up, startled. The shocked look on his face made it obvious that he was not startled at the interruption, but more at the fact it was me doing the interrupting.

"Hey, Mike. What page are we on?" I asked, trying my hardest to ignore his surprised expression at hearing me speak.

He stared at me for a moment, but recovered quickly; smiling at the fact I was talking to him again.

"Um, we're on page 65. Do you wanna share my book with me? I could scoot my desk closer to yours…" he whispered back hopefully.

_Wow. He just doesn't give up does he?_ I thought ruefully.

"Thanks, Mike, but that's okay. I have my copy with me…" I told him, and then ducked down to retrieve my Animal Farm book from my backpack.

I could see the disappointment in his face, so I hastily added:

"Thanks for the offer though, Mike. I appreciate it."

He smiled, recovering from his momentary feeling of defeat.

"Let me know if you need anything else." He offered.

I gave him a half smile then pointedly focused my gaze on the text.

It seemed to take Mike about one hour to completely forget my last four months of anti-socialness towards him. I knew this because the second after the bell rang, Mike asked me if I wanted him to walk me to Calculus. I was pretty sure he'd insist on doing it if I said a polite "no thanks," and I didn't want to be rude by telling him the honest answer to that question, so I agreed.

Mike babbled on about work and how it was going to be great to work together tomorrow as if we hadn't been working in almost complete silence for the past several months.

When I walked into calculus, no one was paying much attention to the warm-up problems Mr. Varner was writing on the board. Instead, everyone was chatting rather animatedly amongst themselves. Gossiping, I realized.

I took my seat next to Jessica, who, as usual these days, was facing away from me. She'd taken my closed-off behavior rather personally. Today, however, I actually was paying enough attention to notice, and overhear what she was talking to the girl next to her about.

"So, yeah. It's about time we had something interesting happen here. I hope they're interesting. It would be a shame if we got new students, and had nothing to gossip about. At least, we can hope they'll be more exciting than Be—" Jessica stopped short when the girl she was talking to, looked pointedly behind her, signaling for Jessica to stop before she said something about me. Jessica, glance over her shoulder at me, and looked blankly at me, as if she didn't know me at all.

I decided to ease the awkwardness, and just say something. It was better than just staring back at her.

"So, um, we have new students starting here? When?"

Jessica just looked at me for a long moment.

"You're talking to me all of a sudden?" she asked bitterly.

I wasn't sure how to proceed.

"Well… yeah?" it came out like a question.

"Oh. So now you're eavesdropping on my conversations?" She demanded.

"You weren't exactly whispering…" I pointed out. "Besides, when there's new gossip, you're the first person I think to ask." I said.

To a normal person, that'd be a kinda backhanded compliment, but to Jessica, it was like telling her she was the winner of a popularity contest.

"Oh." I could tell she was debating whether to dish or not… she lost against her better judgment.

"Well, there's these new kids. They're all seniors. And from New York. As in _New York City! _I mean, how awesome is that? There are the two twins, a boy and a girl, their names are Aidan and Genevieve, and then the girl's boyfriend, Skyler. Liz told me last period that she heard from Steven, who heard it from his sister's best friend Janice…" I tuned out for the long train of he said she said. When She started making sense again, I tuned back in.

"… said they're from Alaska. Like it's so sad though! The twins' parents, like, died! So they got all this, like, insurance money from it, and emanciapitated themselves—"

"You, mean emancipated." I cut in.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. Anyway… that's why they moved here. They could only emanci… whatever… if they moved to a smaller city. It's kinda weird, but so cute at the same time that her boyfriend moved with them. It's, like they couldn't be apart or something like that. Such a shame though cause, I heard that Skyler is totally gorgeous! They all are actually. They kinda remind me of the Cullens, ya know, before they went AWOL…" Of course, she didn't notice my flinching, and just babbled on.

_She just had to go _there_ didn't she? _

"So yeah, the twins, Genevieve and Aidan, look alike, but not alike at the same time. Genevieve has really long blond hair, and these bright blue eyes. Liz said that they don't look normal. I bet she wears contacts. Aidan has them too, but he's supposed to be all emo looking and kinda closed-off. With the dark hair, and the bangs in his face. He's supposed to be totally hot too though. I wonder what his deal is? Skyler and Genevieve were, like, really friendly, at least that's what Liz said. I guess we'll find out at lunch though. Lauren invited them to sit with us already. She's totally got it covered!" At the name "Lauren," I tuned out of the conversation for good. She was not my biggest fan, and I was becoming less and less fond of her general bitchiness towards me.

At any rate, Mr. Varner had now cleared his throat for the fifth time, making it clear that anyone who was still talking when he got to the sixth time would most likely get detention. So I got started on the problems on the board.

My day went on as normal from there. I went to class, and took shockingly accurate notes. I heard a few more bits and pieces about these new kids, but I hadn't actually seen them yet. I had sort of forgotten about them, lost inside my own little world, trying to pretend I don't still have OCD (obsessive Cullen disorder). That was until I got to lunch… then my life suddenly got more… complicated.

A/N: insert evil, maniacal, giggle-slash-cackle here I'd apologize for the cliff hanger, but I'm not actually sorry… You'll appreciate it too, once I post chapter four, which I'm working on right about now. I hope to post it soon, but I want it to be perfect! I hope you guys enjoyed chapter three. Let me know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. I'm always happy to clarify any issues you might have with Solstice.

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


	4. Meeting Aidan

A/N: thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I love you all. As for the one concern left in the review… It'll be addressed in this chapter! I also wanted to point you guys to my authors profile, because near the bottom there's a link to a picture of what the new vamps' eyes look like. Check it out! They're awesome! Without further adieu, I give you chapter four!

A/N2: This is the **repost** of chapter 4. I had to fix some stuff about Aidan's character before I could do ch7…. Anyway…enjoy

**Solstice**

**Chapter four: Meeting Aidan**

"Bella!" Mike called, the exact second he saw me. "Come over here! There're some new people you should meet!"

Seeing as slipping away quietly was clearly no longer an option, I made my way over to my "friends" and took a seat in between Angela and Mike.

Angela was the only person that respected the fact that I was going through a rough time. She'd let me wallow in my thoughts and memories, but still made an effort to keep in contact with me. She and Ben Cheney were still going strong, and I was happy for her.

"Hey Angela. Hi Mike." I mumbled, giving them each a half-hearted smile.

"Bella, this is Skyler Carter, and Eve and Aidan Sparks." Mike said, pointing each of them out. Genevieve and Skyler were sitting down, holding hands on top of the table, and Aidan was standing closely behind them, present, but not looking too interested.

Mike was still rambling on.

"They just moved here from Alaska, but they're originally from New York."

At a closer look, I realized I knew all I needed to know about who and what they were. I'd spent enough time around the supernatural to realize immediately that they were… vampires? Almost everything about them fit the description…except for their eyes. They all had an extremely unique shade of electric blue eyes. There was no way they could be contacts, but were also definitely not human.

Genevieve was absolutely stunning. She was about 5'7" had an even lighter complexion than me (though she was a shade or two darker than I would have expected. I assumed that perhaps she had been more on the tan side before she was changed.), She was wearing a light pink tank top with a white cardigan over it and dark blue skinny jeans. She had beautiful, long, wavy blond hair that went to her mid-back.

Jessica was right about one thing: Skyler and Aidan were very, very attractive.

_Of course they are, Bella. They're VAMPIRES!_

Skyler was about 6'2" had a strong build, and messy light brown hair. He was just as pale as _I had expected._ He was dressed in a light grey short sleeved button down with a white undershirt showing through where he had it unbuttoned. He appeared to have a friendly nature, but at the moment was staring off into space, as if he was looking at something no one else could see.

Aidan was… intense. He had deep, dark, brown hair, with bangs that fell across his eyes, making the electric blue of his eyes stand out even more. He had a guitar case strapped across his shoulders. He was dressed in darker colors than his counterparts (a simple black t shirt and black leather jacket and dark washed jeans), and just seemed more standoff-ish. I also noticed that he was gripping the back of Skyler's chair rather tightly.

I recovered from my shock, and figured out that the few seconds of awkward silence probably meant it was my turn to say something.

"Hi. I'm Bella Swan. It's… nice to meet you." I said, offering my hand to shake theirs. It felt awkward, but they already probably thought I was a strange one anyway. I wasn't prepared for the shock of what I felt when my hand met Genevieve's. Hers was surprisingly warm. Warmer than mine.

Skyler jumped and re-focused on the present, as if someone had kicked him under the table. He grasped my waiting hand. His was cold, but not as cold as I was expecting. His skin definitely was as hard as _theirs_ had been, but it's wasn't as cold.

Aidan, was looking at me curiously, He didn't reach for my hand, as it was still clenching Skyler's chair, but nodded at me and gave me an obligatory half smile, before his expression returned to neutral.

I let my hand drop to my side. I doubted anyone else felt the tension I felt in the room. That silence was quickly broken by Genevieve, whose bubbly voice brought me out of my reverie.

"Hi Bella! It's nice to meet you too! I heard that you were the last new student here!" Genevieve smiled brightly at me, flashing a set of perfect, white teeth.

I almost cried at the images and memories rushing through my mind right then. This girl reminded me of a perfect cross between Rosalie and Alice. She had Rosalie's poise and beauty, and Alice's disposition.

"Yeah, Bella, I guess you're not the special new toy anymore." That one came from Lauren. I suppressed the urge to slap her. I decided instead to just ignore her comment.

"Oh. Well… yeah, Genevieve. I moved here from Phoenix."

"Actually, I prefer to go by Eve, but that's awesome! Why'd you move here?"

It was impossible not to like this girl, though I was still surprised at how… social she was.

"Um, my mom got remarried, and he travels a lot, so I moved here to live with my dad. So, why did you pick Forks of all places?" I asked, desperate to get the subject off of me.

"Well, our – mine and Aidan's— adoptive parent's passed away a while ago, and we were left with a bunch of insurance money, and we got tired of being 'wards of the state' in Alaska, so we decided to emancipate ourselves, because we're still 17. But it's easier to do it if you live in a small town, so we moved here, the smallest town we could come up with that wasn't on the other side of the world. That's basically it." She summed up.

"How did Skyler end up moving here with you?" Angela asked.

"Eve and I have been together for… a long time now, and because I'm 18, my dad doesn't care much what I do with my life, as long as I'm happy. More or less, Eve makes me happy, so when she told me she and Aidan were moving; I told her I'd follow her wherever she went. I didn't realize that this is where she had in mind, of course, but it's been interesting so far." Skyler answered, and then kissed Genevieve on the cheek.

All of a sudden, questions and chatter erupted from the other girls around the table. I didn't say anymore, and just sort of half listened, while I considered what was going on (by that, I mean that there were strange new vampires in Forks). I noticed that Aidan kept looking at me. He wasn't staring, but he kept glancing at me, then looking at someone else, then back to me, again, like he was comparing and contrasting us. It was odd behavior even for a vampire.

Eventually, the bell rang, and the group slowly dissipated. Soon, the only ones left were Mike, Jessica, Eric, Genevieve, Skyler, Aidan, and me.

"So where are your next classes?" Jessica asked.

"Sky and I are headed to English next, with Mr. Lockwood, over in building four, and I think Aidan's heading to Chemistry in building two, with Mr. Banner." Eve explained.

"Oh that's great, we have English with Lockwood next too!" Eric said, gesturing to Jessica. "And Bella has chemistry with Banner, so she and Aidan can go together." He said brightly. I knew I should probably be worried that Eric knew my schedule so well, but I just let it go.

"Perfect! We should probably get to class though; I wouldn't want to be late on the first day." Eve said with a laugh, getting up, taking Skyler with her, and heading off towards class with the others. Again, their social-ness made me curious. I didn't even realize that Aidan and I were among the last few students still in the cafeteria.

We looked at each other across the table for a few seconds, before I decided to break the silence.

"So… shall we?" I asked gesturing forward.

"I guess we shall" Aidan said in a quiet melodious voice, casting his eyes down. I realized that was the first time I'd heard him speak.

"So… it's this way…" I said, and started forward. Unfortunately, I didn't see the edge of the chair, and, me being me caught the tip of my foot on it. I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact with the concrete, but it never came.

Instead, all I felt was someone's cold hand around my arm, preventing another meeting between me and the ground. I opened my eyes and looked up to see who had saved me from another meeting with the ground and found myself staring into the electric blue of Aidan's eyes. I wasn't too surprised. Who else could have gotten over to me that fast? I realized his hand was still on my arm, and I blushed crimson.

His hand tensed around me for a moment and then he quickly let me go and took two quick steps back, his eyes slightly darker than they had been just a moment ago. I realized then, what had happened. My blush had made him… _thirsty_.

"Um… thanks. That happens a lot." I wasn't sure if I was thanking him for stepping back, away from my blood, or for catching me, but I figured double talk was okay in this case.

Aidan met my eyes briefly, but then averted his gaze. "You're welcome," he mumbled. "It's not your fault though. I'm sure that chair was just out to get you." He said mildly.

"Yeah. Chairs, tables, roots, flat and stable surfaces, they're all out for my demise. I guess you could say I attract trouble." I deadpanned.

Aidan raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't comment on my klutziness anymore.

After another few seconds of an awkward silence, I shrugged uncomfortably and walked towards chemistry, Aidan fell into step next to me. We walked next to each other in silence. I jumped about a foot in the air when the bell rang.

"Shoot! We're late! Mr. Banner is going to probably glare at us the whole time." I said more to myself than him.

"He won't care. I'm new. I'm supposed to be late," Aidan said matter-of-factly.

"I was new last year. He really doesn't show a lot of consideration for that fact." I commented sarcastically, as Mr. Banner had been the only person in Forks who didn't seem to notice my new-ness.

"I guess we'll find out," Aidan shrugged.

"Okay… you believe whatever you want." I mumbled, and lead him over to the door.

Aidan opened it and ushered me in a head of him. All at once, everyone's heads turned towards us, their eyes practically boring holes into us. (A/N: I really hate when that happens). Mr. Banner, stopped in the middle of his lecture, and turned to us, clearly mad that someone had dared interrupt. He looked like he was about to reprimand us, but suddenly his expression changed, into a kinder, unfamiliar one.

"You must be one of our new students. Welcome to Forks high school, please take a seat…?" Mr. Banner trailed off, as if wanting to know Aidan's name.

"Aidan. I'm Aidan Sparks. Sorry we're late." He said tonelessly, gesturing to me.

Mr. Banner didn't seem to notice me standing there until Aidan had mentioned me.

"Oh, Miss Swan. How nice of you to help out our new student. Why don't you two take your seats? Aidan, the seat next to Bella happens to be available." He instructed us, and then just moved on with his lecture.

I was amazed. Mr. Banner had never reacted like that to an interruption before. He had never been that nice before, period. It was sort of freaking me out.

Dazed, I lead Aidan to our lab table, and began absently taking notes.

I didn't notice that the air conditioner vent had been right next to me all semester until it kicked to life, blowing cold air directly on to me. Aidan tensed up and leaned away from me all of a sudden. I looked up at him, and noticed that his eyes had just turned a midnight blue color. I saw the way he was looking at me, and I understood. I was suddenly afraid… very afraid.

I knew I should have known better than to get so close to him. This was not one of my brightest ideas.

_Stupid Bella! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! You are supposed to be staying SAFE! You promised _him!_ You're breaking your promise. This is the exact opposite of what kind of situation you should be in! _I was busy scolding myself and panicking that it took me a moment to realize that Aidan had re-focused his piercing gaze at Mr. Banner. He was still tensed up, but he was no longer staring at me.

Mr. Banner kept on with his lecture, but began to walk over to the thermostat, almost as if he wasn't aware he was doing it. Then all of a sudden, Aidan's torture and my panic were over. Mr. Banner had turned off the air conditioner, and the machine blew its last gust of cold air at us, and clicked to a stop.

As grateful as I was, I was also perplexed about several things. First of all, I was still alive. Secondly, Mr. Banner never turned off the AC; he preferred his classroom to be about the same climate as an igloo. Thirdly, Aidan was completely composed now, and kept on taking notes as though nothing had happened.

I knew I wasn't imagining things, but this was all just too easy. There had to be something more to Aidan than just vampirism. I was suddenly overwhelmed with determination to find out…

A/N: So what did ya'll think? I hope I made Aidan, Genevieve, and Skyler's personalities and appearances distinct enough. Let me know if you need anything cleared up! Oh, and if you haven't already, go check out the link I put on my profile to see what the new vamp's eyes look like. They're awesome! Please review! I'm anxious for your thoughts.

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


	5. amazing title goes here

A/N: I'm sooooooooooooo sorry that this chapter took FORVER for me to post! I don't even have a legit excuse… just laziness and spring break… ahhh. So yeah anyway… this chapter is dedicated to AliceCullenLucky13, for being my best friend and idea bouncing board for this story! Love you!

Here's chapter 5:

Solstice

Chapter 5: amazing title here

::**ALICE'S** pov::

If vampires could have heart attacks, I would be having one right now. My best friend just disappeared, and I have no idea why. She was just there, I wasn't even looking for her, and then she just disappeared. Blank. Nothing. Something's wrong. This has never happened before. My best friend is…gone… Instead of a heart attack, I'm settling for a panic attack.

Jasper was at my side the instant I started crying tearless sobs. He was nearly frantic himself. He knew exactly how I was feeling, but not knowing what was hurting me was torture to him.

"Alice! What is it? What'd you see?" Jasper asked, pulling me close to him.

I was hyperventilating… which is a really hard thing to accomplish when you don't actually need to breathe. Despite the waves of calm Jasper was sending over me, it took me a few minutes to be able to speak again.

"I… saw Bella…I know I shouldn't have been looking for her, and I wasn't. A vision of her just came out of nowhere. She was there one second, and then she just…disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?"

"As in gone! Blank! Black! Her future completely disappeared, Jasper! I think Bella's…" I couldn't make myself say the word 'dead.' Jasper understood what I meant anyway from the feeling of sheer terror and heartbreak I was emanating.

Jazz pulled me in even closer.

"You don't know that! Not for sure. What exactly did you see Bella doing?" Jasper asked me, looking into my eyes, trying to get me to focus.

"I saw Bella… at school, I think. She was just walking through the hall. She looked really…spiritless; like she was empty or something. She was walking alone, but there were other students in the hall with her… I didn't see anything else. I just saw her, then nothing… I can't just sit here! I have to do something!"

"Something like what?" Jasper asked me, beginning to see where this was going.

"I _have_ to make sure she's okay, Jazz! I need to go back to Forks! I'll go crazy not knowing for sure!"

Of course, Edward picked that exact moment to come back within in hearing range from hunting with the others (something he did very rarely these days). Within seconds he was in the living room glaring at me and Jasper. He looked somewhat less than pleased at our thoughts.

"Alice. No." He said it as a command. This annoyed the hell out of me!

I stood up on the couch, so that I was eye level with him, pulling Jasper up with me, and glared right back.

"How dare you tell me what to do? You're not the only one who misses her! You're not the only one hurting because we left! If you had any idea what the rest of us were feeling instead of wallowing in your own misery, then perhaps you'd see that YOU made the WRONG choice! This is not your decision to make. I am going back, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" I yelled at him.

I could see the hurt in his eyes, but I didn't care. He hurt me too when he made me leave my best friend. I know that he's regretted that decision ever since he made it, and now he's just being stubborn. Besides, I don't remember inviting him to go back with me.

Edward growled slightly at my thoughts.

"Alice, we've been over this. I promised Bella—"Jasper cut him off before he could _explain_ his stupid opinion to us… again.

"That's her point, Edward. YOU promised. Alice didn't want to leave Bella, but you didn't give her much of a choice." Jasper told him calmly.

"I made the decision that was best for Bella. She's better off. She safe now." Edward said more to himself than to us.

"How is that possible? I just saw her future DISSAPEAR! How does that indicate 'safe'?" I asked, exasperatedly.

"You didn't see anything! You didn't see her get seriously, or someone attack her, or anything like that. Bella is fine! If something like that were to happen, you would have seen it! You're just trying to find an excuse to go back there!" Edward yelled back at me.

(A/N: from this point down, AliceCullenLucky13 wrote every word, minus the final author's note. She's helped me soooo much with this story!)

"That's the point Edward!" I yelled back, "I saw NOTHING!!!! I'm going back to Forks to make sure that she's still alive! If it makes you feel better, I'll check on her while she's sleeping and if she's still alive I'll come straight back, and if there's any reason for concern I'll let you know!"

I jumped gracefully off the couch, making my way for the stairs when Edward caught my arm. I glared pointedly at his hand, which was in a death grip around my small arm. _You know you don't want to get into this with me while Bella very well could be in danger, _I thought loudly, knowing that Edward was listening. Edward's grip faltered slightly, debating.

Jasper stepped between Edward and I glaring at Edward, "I can sense what you're feeling Edward and trust me, one little trip down to Forks is not going to _kill_ anyone. Alice is just concerned, that's all!" Jasper said grabbing Edward's wrist while he stood there in debate.

Edward dropped his arm defeated, "FINE!" he growled angrily, he hated being wrong, "Wait until you see something actually happen before you go storming off to Forks. I'm not saying no, I'm just saying not yet!"

I groaned, "You're right. All I saw before she disappeared was just her at school… Not life threatening, concerning, but not life threatening." I said defeatedly, then I glared intensely, "But I'm holding you to your WORD!"

"Deal!" Edward said with a hint of protest in his voice, "But this is ONLY if something happens to her."

I simply nodded, grabbed Jasper's hand and walked up the stairs, _Its Bella, something was bound to happen sooner or later,_ I thought to myself. From down the stairs I heard Edward growl in response, _heh heh oops! _It's really hard having a brother that can read minds…

A/N: I really hope you all like it! I missed having the Cullens around, so I decided to add them in early. Let me know what ya'll think!

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


	6. Confrontations

A/N: I'm so glad you all liked chapter 5! I was a little nervous about it, but I'm so happy it was well received! Many thanks to all who reviewed; you're the reason I keep writing! That said, please enjoy chapter six!

Solstice

Chapter 6: Confrontations

::Bella's POV::

Unsurprisingly, Aidan was out of his seat and out the door within seconds after the bell rang after Chemistry, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him more. I knew I should have gone to my next class, but as it was PE, I decided, it would be safer for everyone involved if I just ditched. The teacher never takes attendance anyway.

I made my way out to the parking lot, expecting to be alone. I wasn't. Across the lot Aidan and Skyler were standing by what I assumed was their cars (A/N: a perfectly restored classic '67 mustang and a 2006 Bentley Continental convertible…*sigh*). I figured that no one else would be able to afford cars like that here.

They weren't shouting, but I could tell by their expressions that they were arguing.

When I entered the lot, they stopped talking and stared at me for a moment. Skyler said something to Aidan and then walked back towards school, waving as he passed me. Aidan just got into his car (the mustang), and sped out of the parking lot. He was out of sight before I even pulled out of my parking space.

~*~*~*~*~

Instead of going home, I decided to go down to La Push to see Jacob. Maybe he could help me make sense of these weird new kids. I know that he doesn't really believe in any of the Quileute legends, but he led me to the answer the first time around, so I figured I'd start there.

I had an odd feeling in my stomach; the kind you get before you're about to start doing something you know you shouldn't. Then there was that nagging thought in the back of my head telling me to just leave these new, unknown, potentially dangerous vampires alone.

_Then again, the first vampires I got involved with ended up causing my world to coming to a screeching, crashing halt. How much worse could these ones possibly be? The worst they could do is kill me. I've been practically half dead for these past few months anyway. _I thought bitterly.

I crossed the boundary line and entered the Quileute reservation. It was strangely… quiet. More quiet than normal.

I made my way over to the Black's house and parked in front of the garage, expecting to see Jacob in there working on his car, but he wasn't there. I was about to start the truck again and head down to the beach to see if he was there, when I saw the front door open, and Billy roll out.

I rolled down my window as he came over to me. "Hey Billy! How are you?"

"I'm doing alright, I suppose. And yourself? How's Charlie? I was thinking of having him come down here for a game for a change."

"Charlie's fine, I'm sure he'd like to come down here, too. " I told him, avoiding answering any questions about how I'm doing. It's a loaded question these days.

"So is Jake around? I thought he'd be in his garage, but he's not there. Any ideas?" I asked.

"I think he said something about going down to the beach with Sam and a few others." Billy said carefully, as if he wasn't sure whether or not he should be telling me this.

_Sam? That can't be good._

I tried to keep my expression indifferent, but knew that my eyes were probably betraying me.

"Thanks Billy. I'll go see if he's there." I said, and started the truck again. If Billy said anything else, I didn't hear him over the roar of my engine, and I was already pulling out when he was wheeling himself back inside.

Anxious, I drove a little faster than normal over to First Beach. There weren't many cars around, but I parked next to a shiny black classic Mustang.

I hopped out the truck, stumbling on the landing. I didn't see anyone on the shoreline, so I just started walking. I decided to start looking for Jake over by the cliffs, because he told me last week that's where Sam and some of the others liked to hang out.

I was nearly there, when I heard voices coming from behind some trees. I recognized Jake's voice, and changed my direction to head over to the foliage.

"Hey! Um… Jake?" I called, while walking over. As soon as I spoke, the talking stopped for a moment. Then all I heard was mumbling, (well, it sounded like arguing actually) and Jake walked out--make that stalked out—from behind the trees and stopped about 5 feet from me.

Instead of seeing the happy, smiling Jake, I was faced with a serious, sullen looking Jacob.

"What do you want Bella?" Jacob asked curtly, crossing his arms and keeping his expression blank.

"Well… I kinda wanted to see you. You told me to 'drop by anytime.' So here I am." I explained, trying not to be offended be his unfriendly manner.

Jacob scowled and hunched his shoulders. That's when I noticed that he looked… terrible. He had dark shadows under his eyes, making it appear that he had not slept in days. His once long hair was now haphazardly cut short and shaggy. His jeans were shorn off at the knee and his shirt was dirt-stained and ragged looking.

"Listen, Bella. Just go. You don't belong here. I don't belong with you. I need to be here… with Sam and the others." Jacob said, trying to brush me off.

I gave him a hard look. "Jake. I thought you said 'not to worry.' You said wouldn't get involved with Sam or anything dangerous. You promised me! You—promised!" I sputtered at the end.

Jake squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists tightly. After a few deep breaths, he opened them, but avoided looking at me.

"I'm keeping my promise to you Bella. You shouldn't worry, and this isn't dangerous. I've never been safer in my life."

"If you've never been safer, then why can't I stick around?" I asked defiantly.

He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes again, wincing as if he were in pain. I took a step forward, to go and comfort him, but his next words stopped my tracks cold.

"Because… I don't want you here! I don't want you around me!" Jacob snapped, trembling with what I assumed was anger.

His words were ringing in my ears. I felt the small part of my heart that Jake had thawed out just a few short days ago, freeze up all over again. I tried, and failed, to contain my tears. Tears of sadness, and anger, mostly anger, spilled out the corners of my eyes.

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU JACOB?" I yelled at him. He didn't respond, he just started shaking even more violently. This took me for a second. He was really _shaking._

"C'mon Jake… now you're starting to scare me. What's wrong with you, really? Why are you shaking so much?" I asked tentatively. In what felt like half a second, the other people Jake was with came rushing out from behind the shelter of the trees. Among them were: Sam, Paul, someone I didn't recognize, Embry, and…

_Aidan?!?!? What on earth is he doing here?_ I thought, distracted.

Aidan was looking from me to Jacob, as if he were gauging my reaction to Jacob's strange behavior.

Embry and Paul had each taken one of Jake's arms and were pushing him back towards the screen of trees. Jake didn't seem to notice this. His eyes were locked on the ground and he was shaking even more violently now. I took a step forward so as to stop them, but Sam and the unfamiliar one stepped in between me and them, blocking my path.

I opened my mouth to yell at them, but Sam cut me off.

"I suggest you leave." Sam said with a tone of authority.

I crossed my arms over my chest, and turned my chin up in defiance. "No. Not without an explanation. I know this is your doing! I'm not leaving unless you tell me what you've done to Jacob!"

Sam gave me a hateful look.

"You don't _know_ anything! This is not _my_ doing! I didn't have a choice either! None of us chose this!" Sam said bitterly.

"Then whose fault is it?" I demanded.

Sam looked at me for a long moment, deliberating.

"It's…" Sam paused to glare over at Aidan, "Complicated. I don't have to tell you anything. Now, this is Quileute land. You no longer have any business here, so I'm going to tell you this just once more: go home!" Sam barked with a sense of finality.

I glared up at him. I wanted nothing more than to hit him for doing this. For wrecking Jake's and my friendship. I looked past him, staring into the trees where Jacob disappeared. I wanted to say something to him. Anything. I wanted to say the right thing. I wanted to say whatever I needed to say to make Jake come with me. I wanted to go back in time to that moment in the forest by my house. I wanted to go back to my last moments with _him_ and say whatever I needed to say to make _him_ stay with me. But I didn't. I couldn't. I couldn't make the words form on my lips. Not then, not now.

I couldn't hold them back anymore, so I let the tears fall freely. _He_ might as well have just left me all over again. Once again, I wasn't good enough. Once again, I wasn't wanted anymore.

I spun around and ran back towards my truck, not caring if I stumbled (which I did, but that's beside the point).

A/N: I considered merging chapters 6 and 7 into one super long chapter, but chapter 7 is going to be even longer than this chapter, so I'm going to keep them separate. Just know that CH 7 will pick up at the very second this chapter leaves off at. That said, please review! Your input is very valuable to me!

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


	7. Of Course

A/N: Thanks so much for the positive feedback! I'm glad you liked chapter 6, even though it's sad! I wanted to take the time to let you all know that there are some _**Solstice Extras**_ on my author profile! They're interesting… take a look! You know you wanna! Anyway enjoy chapter 7!

A/N2: **If you are reading this story for the first time, this does not apply to you. If you are a **_RETURNING READER_** the following is important:**

**Chapter four has been redone! I made a few personality changes to Aidan, as well as added a few more descriptions. If you do not re read chapter FOUR then this chapter will make Aidan seem bipolar. I don't want this. You don't want this. So please, for Aidan's sake, please reread chapter four.**

Solstice

Chapter 7: Of Course

Of course this had to happen now. Of course it had to happen to me. My truck won't start.

The engine that Jacob built for my truck won't start. It's symbolic really. Our friendship started with the truck, and now the truck ends with our friendship. Of course it did.

My tears had stopped falling, but I was still frazzled over what had just happened. This definitely wasn't helping.

After about the twentieth try, I gave up turning the key and slumped forward, closing my eyes. In my frustration I began banging my head against the steering wheel, mumbling incoherently.

A sharp tap on the window scared the hell out of me, making me jump so much that I smacked my head on the top of the cab. I winced and looked out the window to discover Aidan Sparks smirking down at me, trying not to laugh at my klutziness… again.

I glared and rolled down the window.

"Holy Crow! You scared the hell out of me!" I scolded. Aidan gave a slight smile and flipped his bangs away from his eyes. The shocking electric blue astonished me even more.

"Yeah, I can see that. I'm sorry, though, I didn't mean to startle you. Your reaction was more of an added benefit to my coming over." I noticed him glance at the empty hole in the dashboard where a radio had once been, but he didn't comment. Which was good, because then I'd have had to explain.

I sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"I gathered you were having a few problems—with your truck I mean. I thought I'd give you some help." He said quietly, not meeting my eyes.

I gazed at him for a moment, considering this. Deciding it was in my better interests to leave the reservation as soon as possible, I nodded and opened the door.

I stumbled, stepping out of the truck. Aidan's hand caught my arm reflexively, and he helped me down.

"Thanks." I said blandly. Aidan didn't respond. He just stared blankly at me again and headed to the front of my truck.

I followed and gazed down at my trucks innards while Aidan's white hands moved swiftly in, out, and around the different parts I would probably never know the names of. (A/N: cause I sure as hell don't!)

After about two minutes of checking things. He sighs, steps back and closes the hood, narrowly missing my fingers.

"So… what's the diagnosis doc?" I asked, in a weak attempt to lighten the mood.

"Congratulations. You blew the transmission." He responded sarcastically. "Everything else is okay, but you'll need a new transmission if you ever want to get her started again." He said more seriously now, straightening and letting his bangs fall back into his eyes.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Do I want to know how much that's gonna cost?" My college fund has dwindled down quite a bit ever since… September. I suppose you could have called it retail therapy, only instead of clothes and a bunch of pointless stuff, I gave in to conformity and bought myself an iPod and a lot of books. The combination of headphones and literature made it easier to avoid the meaningless conversations and small talk with my 'friends' at school.

[A/N: I know it says in the book that Bella wouldn't even listen to music anymore when Edward left, but in the world of me, (which if you're reading this, you're in), the idea of not having music is like not having oxygen… it's a necessity for existence so DEAL WITH IT!!!]

Aidan sighed, and bit his lip lightly as if he was deciding an internal argument with himself, wincing a bit when he bit down too hard (Which was also a little strange seeing as he's a vampire, but I guessed it was just a learned habit he'd picked up to "look human").

"Honestly… under normal circumstances… No; definitely not." Aidan forced out, looking as though he regretted the words he just said.

"What do you mean 'under normal circumstances'?" I asked, confused by his cryptic behavior.

"Well, normally getting parts for a classic car is an expensive pain in the ass, but a transmission is a whole other level of hell because you have to take a bunch of stuff out in order to put a new transmission in." Aidan explained grimly.

I didn't say anything; I just gave him an exasperated look, hoping to see a light at the end of the very dark tunnel.

Aidan stared back, his shocking eyes boring holes into my own for a brief moment before he looked away then down at the ground again. "Of course, that's under normal circumstances." He added quietly.

I glanced up at him, unsure where he was taking this. "You keep saying that, but do you mean it in a good way or a bad way? Because the way my day's been so far I don't know if I can take much more bad news." I said dejectedly.

Aidan met my gaze for a moment, smiling slightly for a second before reverting back to his poker face. "It's good actually. I can fix your truck for you. I have the transmission in our--Skyler's and my—garage."

My head snapped up at his words, and I'm certain I gave myself whiplash from looking up so fast. "You would do that? For me, I mean?" I asked, skeptical.

"Yeah." He said simply, shrugging it off as if it were nothing.

"Not to push my luck, but do you mind telling me why? Not that I'm not grateful, because I really am, but… why?" I babbled, cringing and hoping he wouldn't suddenly change his mind.

Aidan raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting to need to explain himself. "I…don't know. Seems like the right thing to do I guess, given the day you're having. Besides, you…interest me. I've never met someone like you before. I can't quite figure you out." He mumbled quietly, looking away again.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked faintly, the familiar memories coming back to me.

Aidan cleared his throat, and decided not to answer me. "Look, can we play twenty questions later? If you want your truck back, we might want to get moving soon." He said, gesturing to his car. (A/N: I am in absolute LOVE with his car!!!!! Sorry…just had to add that in there again!)

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Thank you, again." I muttered, walking, over to the passenger's side. Aidan beat me there, predictably, and held the door for me. _What is it with vampires and chivalry? _I wondered as I got in.

By the time I closed the door, Aidan was already in his seat, putting on his seatbelt. I shook my head lightly. It was disorienting, yet so painfully familiar to be in the presence of someone who moved so fluidly and fast.

Aidan's car was… nice, to say the least. He had red leather seats with a white trim, and the mustang imprint in each of the headrests. His stereo was the exact same one that I had recently ripped out of my truck. I quickly looked away, trying to think of anything else. I glanced into the back, and saw Aidan's guitar case lying neatly on the seat.

Aidan put the car in gear and pulled out with one quick turn of the wheel; barely looking in his mirrors, as I've learned vampires rarely do.

We sat in silence for a few moments while Aidan drove out to the main road, the only one leading out of La Push.

"So… Did you want to hang around and wait for me to change your transmission out, or would you rather I just take you home? Your truck will be waiting for you tomorrow morning if you have…stuff to do…" he trailed off, waiting for me to respond.

I considered this for a moment. There were bound to be a lot of awkward moments if I stayed, but then again I was still curious to learn more about Aidan. _He wasn't what I was expecting. At all. He practically changes personalities every twenty seconds. Sometimes he'll stare at me and say nothing, then the next second he's smirking and talkative. I thought vampires were supposed to be fairly consistent personality wise. I guess I was wrong._

Aidan stole quizzical a glance at me, probably making sure I was mentally competent.

"Um… I don't really have anything else going on today. Would it bother you if I stuck around? I mean, I don't want to get in the way or anything…" I babbled.

"No. It's fine. Whatever you want to do is okay with me." He said, going back to his blank expression.

"Okay. Then I guess I'll stick around" I said, struggling to keep my voice neutral, throwing a one shouldered shrug in to seem more indifferent than I was. Part of me was intrigued and curious about Aidan. The other part of me, the side that promised to stay safe, was nagging at me in protest.

"Alright then" He said simply before he made an abrupt U-turn, which scared the hell out of me.

"Holy crow! What are you doing?" I yelled, thoroughly freaked out by his driving.

"Turning around… My house is back this way. If we went through town it would take ages." Aidan explained, looking at me as though I should have surmised that.

"Can you at least warn me next time you decide to endanger my life? I kinda sorta didn't want to die today." I said, sounding braver than I felt.

Aidan laughed, (actually laughed), at me. The sound threw me for a second, and I realized that it was the first time I'd heard him do so all afternoon.

"Trust me Bella. Your life was never in any danger. I built this car for speed and performance. It's made for turns like that." He said, still laughing at my expression.

"Wait. You BUILT this car?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah. My little hobby, I guess. Skyler's too for that matter. We like to work on classic cars, and we race them occasionally." He told me matter-of-factly.

"That explains a lot." I muttered more to myself than to him.

"Like?"

"Well, your driving habits for one," this earned another slight smile, but he kept from laughing, "and also why you happen to have a transmission for a classic Chevy just laying around."

"Oh. Well, as it were, I actually used to have the exact same truck as you. It was great truck, but then I became more intrigued by Ford's Mustang, and that was the end of that. It was an awesome truck when I had it though. I remember getting mine straight off the line when they came out—…" He broke off from his reminiscing suddenly. He knew he had said too much.

"Wait. You got it right when it came out?" I probed.

Aidan slowed the car down. He wouldn't look at me. He stared straight ahead, his hands tensed around the steering wheel, apparently incredibly interested in the open road in front of us.

_Here goes nothing. _I thought. _It's now or never._

I took a deep breath. I knew this was going to be a tough conversation.

"Look, Aidan; you don't have to lie to me. I…I know. I mean I know what you are. You don't have to pretend with me." I stammered.

Aidan still wouldn't look at me, but if at all possible his body tensed up even more. Oddly though, from what I could see of his expression, he didn't look…angry. He looked more freaked out than anything else. I saw him take a deep breath, and then another.

"You don't know the half of it." He said, almost condescendingly.

"You're a vampire!" I blurted.

The car came to a screeching halt; the smell of burnt rubber invaded the air. I probably would have gotten whiplash if Aidan's arm didn't fly out and secured me against the seat.

As soon as I was steady his arm was gone, but in its place was a piercing look, keeping me perfectly still… for a human. Aidan's unnaturally blue eyes were staring me down, a mixture of shock, anger, fear, and amusement in his gaze.

Neither of us spoke for a moment. I was in shock over the surprising stop. He was in shock over my revelation. Eyes still wide, the corner of Aidan's mouth twitched into a nervous half-smile for a moment before breaking the tense silence.

"Okay." He started, "So maybe you _do_ know the half of it." He swallowed. "But I doubt you can figure out the _other _half." He challenged lightly.

_Wait. What?_

A/N: So what'd ya think? Loved it? Hated it? Confused by it? Drop me a comment and let me know…

Luv ya,

Dreamysilverdragon08


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